Chapter Two

First Year

 The train came to a stop. Finally we arrived at Hogwarts. I have never felt so much happiness in my entire life. It was hard to believe something good was actually happening to me for once. I stepped off of the dark red train alongside Jake and the rest. The sun had already set. So far from what I could see we were surrounded by a massive forest. "Firs' years! Firs' year over here!" I heard a loud voice yell. I turned to see a large man, probably the biggest I have ever seen, standing there while holding up a lantern.

"That's Hagrid," Jake told me. "He's a cool guy. First years have to take the boats to get to the castle. I'm sure we'll see you up there. You better be in Gryffindor." He joked and then walked away towards the carriages with the others. I saw Dasha and Eowyn standing in the pack of first years so I walked over to them. They were the only somewhat familiar faces in the entire group.

"Hey," I greeted them quickly, happy to see familiar faces. They both greeted me back kindly. At least I had people to stand with. Most people seemed to already have a friend or two to stand with.

"Alrigh', this looks like the lot of them. Follow me!" Hagrid said. We began following him towards the lake where we were all divided into boats. Dasha, Eowyn, a read haired girl named Ginny, and I all got into a boat together. When we passed the sight of the trees...I saw the castle. It was the most magnificent sight I have ever seen. The castle was lit and was reflecting off the lake. This was going to be my home for the next few months. It was nicer than I ever imagined it to be. I could see a Quidditch pitch in the distance. I wish I knew how to play. Silvius was always talking about the game at home. I heard a splash and turned to see that a small boy named Colin Creevey fell head first into the lake and was being lifted back into the boat by a giant octopus. Some students screamed while others laughed. Unfortunately I couldn't hold back a laugh but I also backed away from the edge of the boat.

When we docked our boats, we entered into the castle through the large and very beautiful french doors. The steps were steep and I tried to take in everything around me. The entrance way had a very medieval feel to it, but it was welcoming nonetheless. Hagrid left us with an older looking witch with a tight bun and a strict look on her face. "Good evening," she greeted us with a nod. "Welcome to Hogwarts. I am professor McGonagall. The sorting will begin momentarily." She left to go check and see if they were ready for us.

"Which house do you think you'll be in?" Dasha asked me. I tore my eyes away from the portraits on the walls.

"I'm not really sure, what about you?" I asked.

"I'm hoping to be in Slytherin. It's where all my family members were when they went here. I almost had to attend a different Wizarding school because of our move to Australia, when I was little but Mother insisted we continue the tradition."

"Slytherin for me too," Eowyn agreed. "I'll be so mad if I don't make Slytherin." I then remembered what Jake was saying on the train earlier while we were talking, about how nearly every other house in the school hated the Slytherin's. Now I was wondering why. Dasha and Eowyn didn't seem like people I could bring myself to hate.

"They are ready," McGonagall said when she came back. We followed her into the room they called the Great Hall. The lighting was bright and the design of the room was breathtaking. There were four very long tables packed with students already. Each table wore a different color. I was looking around, until a hat began to sing to us. Weird... I saw the Malfoy boy sitting at the green table with a sneer on his face as he saw me, so I turned my head. I was hoping to spot the famous Harry Potter but still no sight of him. Not that I even knew what he looked like, all I knew was that he had a lighting bolt scar on his forehead.

"Hey Carlie!" I heard a voice call and turned to see Jake sitting at the red table. I That must be Gryffindor. He was waving at me at I passed down the aisle. A few of the girls at that table looked at me with angry-jealous looks. He must be well-liked throughout the girls. I already assumed that from seeing him the first time. I waved back as I continued walking towards the front of the room.

McGonagall began with calling, "Angelo, Alexis." I watched closely as the dark haired girl walked up to the stool and had the hat placed on her head. I waited for something exciting to happen but the girl just sat there for a good two minutes until the hat belted, "GRYFFINDOR!" The girl jumped up and made her way over to the Gryffindor table. The table adorned in red applauded enthusiastically.

The sorting was long and surprisingly boring. I was already feeling anxious enough but the wait was killing me. Colin Creevey was placed in Gryffindor and sprinted over to the table with a camera hanging around his neck. "Hamond, Christina." An arrogant looking girl with her nose in the air stepped walked up towards the stool. "SLYTHERIN!" The hat yelled. The girl pranced off towards the green table, oh so that was the Slytherin table. No wonder the Malfoy boy was seated there. We finally reached the L's. Luckily that was close to N because my feet were getting sore. "Lovegood, Luna." Professor McGonagall called. A girl who looked like she was floating in another world with extremely long blonde hair and fair skin was having the hat put on her head. "RAVENCLAW!" After her, Amelie Lytton was placed into Slytherin as well. She got up and skipped over to the table that was decorated in green. 'Neveau, Celina." Was the third girl to be placed into Slytherin. It seemed to be the most popular house tonight. There were few Gryffindors, very few Ravenclaws, and basically no Hufflepuffs. "Nyx, Scarlett." 

"Carlie..." I muttered to myself. I climbed up the steps and the sat on the stool. Looking out at the crowd of students made me nervous so I locked my eyes on the large door. If I looked down at the floor, everyone would assume I was shy or maybe even weak. If I stared up at the ceiling they would probably think I was crazy.The hat was placed on my head.

A confusing mind you have.

I'm hearing noises now...

I am simply in your mind, now where to put you?

You have only four choices.

Hufflepuff would obviously do you no good. You would not succeed in Ravenclaw. You have the brains, but are too lazy to use them.

Make up your mind?

I sense you will turn out to be another one of our trouble makers, they're increasing yearly now.

Yeah, yeah, whatever.

I know where to put you...SLYTHERIN!

I stood up from the stool, a bit confused over my placement. Jake and his friends told me about how much trouble they got into their first year. So wouldn't that have made me a Gryffindor? I then saw Jake and his friends looking at me with blank expressions. I shrugged at them with a small smile and walked over to the Slytherin table. Guess there was no going back now. Draco was looking at me with an almost shocked expression. I glanced at him before I sat down. "O'Connor, Eowyn," was called. Eowyn jumped up the steps and sat down on the stool. Clearly she couldn't sit still because she was swinging her legs and moving around. She began to look a little nervous, but the hat yelled out, "SLYTHERIN!" She jumped up and ran over to our table and sat down across from me.

"Oh my god! This is so exciting! I can't wait to tell me parents!" She was talking really fast in a happy tone. I just smiled in response. My parents probably wouldn't even open a letter from me. "And now we get to be roommates! Hopefully Dasha will get into Slytherin and not Ravenclaw, with those brains of hers it's going to be a pretty big fight!" Eowyn laughed. Eventually they got down to S.

"Scott, Dasha." Eowyn and I looked up towards Dasha who was gracefully sitting onto the stool with her ankles crossed to the side. She seemed to be taking the longest of everyone but finally she was placed into Slytherin with us. She walked over and took a seat next to me.

"The hat was insisting on placing me in Ravenclaw," she said with an annoyed sigh. "But I finally got it to put me here."

After Ginny Weasley was placed in Gryffindor, the feast began. The most magnificent looking food appeared and filled our table. I have never seen so much food in my life! The options overwhelmed me. I filled my plate, taking a bit of nearly everything around me. Still no sign of Harry Potter. I looked over towards the Gryffindor table. Jake and his friends were devouring food by the second. I was still confused over this Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry. Neither house seemed too bad to me.

Once we finished eating and Dumbledore finished his closing speech, we followed the prefects to the Slytherin common room which was located under the lake. That was cool enough for me. Dasha, Eowyn, and I were put into a room with the three other girls, Christina, Amelie, and Celina. The room was much nicer than my room back home. I already felt comfortable in the room. The walls were made of stone but the emerald green decor made it feel more welcoming. Instead of having windows looking outside...we looked straight into the lake. I picked the bed right near the window so that I could look out at the fish and hopefully octopus before falling asleep.

I told Dasha and Eowyn that I was going to go sit in the common room. I didn't have much with me so it only took a few minutes to unpack. I wanted to explore more. "Wait," I heard Dasha call. "If you're going to just sit there. You might as well read this." She said tossing me a book, I caught it. It was called Hogwarts a History. "It will tell you all about the school. It's pretty interesting if you ask me." She smiled and went back to unpacking her things.

"Thanks," I said to her and then walked down into the common room. I took a seat in the large window sill. There were fish swimming back and forth in front of the glass. I began reading when suddenly the book was ripped out of my hands. "What the...?" I asked turning around to be face to face with Draco.

"Give it back." I spat making a grab for it but he held it up. He was too tall. Not that I was short, I was actually tall for my age. He was just taller.

"I think you need to learn who your superiors are," he said with a smirk on his face. Behind him were these two big goons. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, I'll let you know when I meet them." He didn't like that. I tried to snatch the book back. "Just give me back the book it's not even mine," I said with an annoying sigh and crossed my arms.

"Who do you think you are?" he asked angrily. I didn't answer him, I just made another grab for the book. "How did you possibly get put into Slytherin house?" he asked me.

"The hat basically told me I have an attitude," I smirked. "So I guess I fit in pretty well, judging on some people I have met." He leaned in closely.

"Listen clearly," he said. "For your sake you better learn how things work around here. You're only a first year. You don't want to start off on the wrong foot." He threw the book down in front of me and then walked away. I couldn't resist glaring at the back of his head. I bent down and picked it up. I made my way up to my dorm.